Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Everyday Conversations:: Learning American English
Everyday Conversations:: Learning American English
____________ PROFESSOR AUSTIN: Good morning, James. I am doing well. And you?
I’m great,
JAMES: thank you. This is my friend Emma. She
____________ is thinking about applying to this college. She has a
few questions. Would you mind telling us about the
What?____________ process, please?
PROFESSOR AUSTIN: ello, Emma! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m more
H
When? __________
than happy to speak with you. Please stop by my office
next week.
PROFESSOR AUSTIN: Good morning, James. I am And you?
I’m great,
JAMES: thank you. This is my friend Emma. She
is applying to this . She has a
few questions. Would you mind telling us about the
, please?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
• “Good night” is not a greeting: It is used when leaving a place or group of people.
Thank you and good night!/Good night, and see you tomorrow.
• When people meet in the United States, it is customary for them to shake hands. A
handshake should be firm and usually lasts for about two to three seconds —
which
allows enough time to say “Nice to meet you.”
JANE: Just fine. Where are you off to? Who are they?___________
LANGUAGE NOTES
• “Hi” is an informal way of saying “hello.” Notice that the “i” sound in “hi” is extended, to • “To the library.” Notice that Helen does not say “I’m going” here because that
show that Jane is very pleased to see Helen. information was already established in the question “Where are you off to?”
• “How’s it going?” is an informal way of saying “How are you?” • “Oh, no” is a way of saying “I sympathize with you” or “I understand you are not happy.”
• “Fine, thanks—and you?” Notice the rising intonation on “and you?” This shows that • “See you later” is an informal way of saying “goodbye.”
Helen is interested in what Jane has to say.
• “Where are you off to?” is an informal way of saying “Where are you going?” Notice the
falling intonation since this is an information question, not a “yes/no” question.
JANE: Oh, no. Well, I’ll see you later then. __________!
LANGUAGE NOTES
• “Hi” is an informal way of saying “hello.” Notice that the “i” sound in “hi” is extended, to • “To the library.” Notice that Helen does not say “I’m going” here because that
show that Jane is very pleased to see Helen. information was already established in the question “Where are you off to?”
• “How’s it going?” is an informal way of saying “How are you?” • “Oh, no” is a way of saying “I sympathize with you” or “I understand you are not happy.”
• “Fine, thanks—and you?” Notice the rising intonation on “and you?” This shows that • “See you later” is an informal way of saying “goodbye.”
Helen is interested in what Jane has to say.
• “Where are you off to?” is an informal way of saying “Where are you going?” Notice the
falling intonation since this is an information question, not a “yes/no” question.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_____________ _______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
• He just finished writing … “just” means the very recent past. “Just” is usually used
with a simple past verb because the action is complete. However, it can also be used
with the present perfect (He’s just finished writing …).
CHARLES: Oh! Then let me introduce you to her now. Mary, this is
my friend Jim.
• Didn’t you meet her …? Notice that this is a negative question. Charles thought that Jim • Nice to meet you. This is a typical response after you’ve been introduced to someone.
had met Mary before. He is now surprised that Jim does not know Mary, and so he uses a
• “Sure” is often used in informal conversation to mean “yes.”
negative question to show his surprise.
• I wasn’t at Steve’s party. Notice that the emphasis here is on “at” although prepositions
normally have weak stress. In this case, “at” means “there” (I wasn’t there).
TONY: Sure we will. Rush hour is almost over. Anyway, the party
starts at 8:00. But I do need help with directions. Can you
call the restaurant and ask them where we park our car?
LANGUAGE NOTES
• I t’s a quarter after seven. This phrase is one of the most common ways of stating • Natasha thinks the surprise party begins at 7:30. There are two different ways to
this time. It means: “It’s 15 minutes past 7:00.” Another possibility here is to simply express this time. You may say simply “seven thirty” or “half past seven.”
say: “It’s seven fifteen.” In general you can say: “It’s a quarter past the hour.” How do
• Rush hour is the time of day—usually in the morning and evening—when traffic is
we know the time of day? Look for context clues: “evening traffic.”
heavy because of people commuting to and from their workplace by bus, by car, by
• In the dialog, Natasha and Tony are going to a surprise party. They need to be on time. subway, on foot, etc.
Therefore there is an element of stress and urgency. When someone is stressed for
time you can use expressions like: Don’t worry. / Don’t stress. / We’re fine. / We will
be on time.
JOHN: I was thinking about that new comedy Lights Out. What do
you think?
JOHN: OK, I’ll pick you up around 7:30. The movie starts at 8:00.
• Oh, hi, John! Notice the rising intonation here. Alice is excited to hear from John and is • I was thinking about … / What do you think? Again, John does not want to appear
very pleased that he called her. too bold. He wants to give Alice a chance to suggest a movie.
• I was wondering if you’d like to ... This is a polite and indirect way of asking “Do you • Sounds great! Is an informal way of saying “That is a good plan.”
want to …?” John is nervous and does not want to appear too direct or bold. Notice
• I’ll pick you up is an informal way of saying “I’ll come to your house so that we can
how the question goes up at the end, which shows that he is not overly confident.
go together.”
LANGUAGE NOTES
• There are a few ways to express a lack of understanding and to request additional • T
alk to you later is the equivalent in a phone conversation of “See you later” in a
information. The most common ones are stated, but you can also say “Excuse me” or regular, face-to-face conversation.
simply “I can’t hear you.” In a more formal situation, try saying “I’m sorry?” or “I beg
• Reception here means the availability of cellular service, the possibility to receive and
your pardon?” (with a rising intonation).
give calls on a cellphone. Cellphone reception can be limited in remote areas, inside
• When asking someone to clarify information try saying Can you please repeat that? / large buildings or underground (in the subway, for instance).
Can you spell that for me? / Can you please write down the address for me?
JULIA: Meg! Hi! What a coincidence! I haven’t seen you in ages! What
are you doing here?
MEG: I just got a new job in the city, so I’m shopping for some
clothes. Hey, what do you think of this shirt?
JULIA: Hmmm … well, you know how much I love blue. See? I’ve got
the same shirt!
MEG: You always did have good taste! What a small world.
LANGUAGE NOTES
• A “cold front” means a large mass of cold air. It can be plural: There were multiple cold • C
hill / freezing / cold: These words describe cold weather. I feel the wind chill. / I feel
fronts this January. the chill. / I am freezing. / I am cold.
• Here “supposed to” refers to something that is intended or expected to happen: I • Wind chill is the effect of the wind making the temperature feel colder on a person’s
thought it was supposed to rain today. This phrase can be used for many situations: I skin. This is an uncountable noun. The temperature is 4 degrees, but with the wind chill
thought the train was supposed to arrive at 9:00 a.m. sharp. it feels like -8. These phrases are used in weather reports as well.
• Yeah / Yup / Uh huh are informal conversational cues used by native speakers in • The phrase “driving down” means “forcing to be lower” and can be used in many
conversation. Each of these responses could be used here for “yes.” Gabriela affirms situations. An oversupply of new houses is driving down sales prices in the area.
what Jennifer is saying. The most polite way to affirm a response is to say “yes.”
• Listen for the emphasis on “That’s what I read online this morning.” This useful
phrase can be used with other verbs to convey information: That’s what I heard on the
radio. / That’s what I saw on TV. / That’s what I read online.
WAITER: OK. Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?
RALPH: I think we’re ready. I’ll have the tomato soup to start, and the
roast beef with mashed potatoes and peas.
WAITER: How do you want the beef — rare, medium, or well done?
ANNA: And I’ll just have the fish, with potatoes and a salad.
CATHY: Well, I have a bad cough and a sore throat. I also have
a headache.
CATHY: About three days now. And I’m really tired, too.
DOCTOR: Hmm. It sounds like you’ve got the flu. Take aspirin
every four hours and get plenty of rest. Make sure you
drink lots of fluids. Call me if you’re still sick next week.
LANGUAGE NOTES
• W
hat seems to be the problem? means “What is the problem?” Notice that the intonation • About is used to mean “more or less.” It’s used here to give an estimate of time.
falls at the end of the question. The doctor wants information, not a “yes/no” answer.
• Take aspirin … get rest … Make sure … Call me: Notice the doctor uses the simple tense
• Well is used as an introductory word. Notice how the vowel is drawn out, to sound like here to give instructions. This is the imperative form of the verb.
“Weeeeeell …” This can be used as a way to “buy time” while you think about what you
• Still sick means “continue to be sick.”
want to say next.
• A bad cough … a sore throat … a headache: Notice the article “a” before each symptom.
NANCY: Yes, it’s that way. You go three blocks to Washington Street,
then turn right. It’s on the corner, across from the bank.
MARK: Thanks! I’ve only been in town a few days, so I really don’t
know my way around yet.
NANCY: Oh, I know how you feel. We moved here a year ago, and
I still don’t know where everything is!
LANGUAGE NOTES
• C ould you tell me … is slightly more polite than “Can you tell me …?” • I know how you feel is a way of saying “I understand.” Notice the emphasis on “feel.”
The speaker wants to show empathy and understanding.
• Could you tell me where the library is? Notice that “library” is stressed here because
it is the word with the important information. This is an indirect question, so the subject • I still don’t know where everything is! Notice the word order of where “everything
(the library) comes before the verb (is). The word order is reversed in a direct question is.” The subject (everything) comes before the verb (is). This word order is different from
(Where is the library?). the direct question (Where is everything?).
• Yes, it’s that way. Notice the stress on “that.” The speaker is pointing in a certain
direction and wants to emphasize that direction.
PETER: I don’t know … let’s call 911. … Hello? I’d like to report
a car accident near the post office on Charles Street.
It looks like a man is hurt. Yes, it just happened. OK,
thanks. Bye.
LANGUAGE NOTES
• How about is a casual way to suggest doing an activity. Notice that “how about” is followed • … flour, sugar and butter. Notice that this is a list, so there are short pauses between each
by an “-ing” verb. item. Notice also that each ingredient is stressed because this information is important.
• Hmm … Notice that Julia pauses for a moment. “Hmm” is an expression used to think about • Why don’t you … This expression is used to ask someone to do something. It can also be
something first before speaking. used to give advice — but in this case two friends are deciding on who does which task.
• That’s a great idea! Notice the emphasis on “great.” Julia has thought about it and then • Aisle Notice the silent “s” in aisle. An aisle is an orderly lane in a supermarket, with shelved
decided that she really does want to bake cookies. products on both sides. Each aisle has a number, so that it is easy to find what you need.
• The recipe calls for is a way of saying “the recipe says we need.” The phrase “call for” can
also be used to talk about the weather forecast. (They’re calling for rain.)
POSTAL CLERK: OK, let’s see how much it weighs … it’s about
five pounds. If you send it express, it will get there
tomorrow. Or you can send it priority and it will get
there by Saturday.
• O
r you can send it priority … Notice the stress on “or,” which emphasizes that there is • Your total comes to … is a way of saying “the cost is ….”
another possibility.
• $
11.35 ... $20.35 Notice the two different ways the postal clerk says the price. First he
says eleven thirty-five (without the words dollars and cents), then he says twenty dollars
and thirty-five cents.
FRANK: Not bad, thanks. I’m just glad it’s over! How about you …
how’d your presentation go?
LINDA: Oh, it went really well. Thanks for helping me with it!
LANGUAGE NOTES
• Hey! is a friendly expression meaning “hello.” • How’d your presentation … Notice the contraction for “How did” sounds like /howdj/
and “your” sounds like /yer/.
• How did your physics exam go? is a way of saying “How was your physics exam?”
• Do you feel like here has the meaning of “do you want to.” Notice “do you feel like” is
• I’m just glad … Notice the stress on “glad.” “Just” is used for emphasis before an
followed by an “-ing” verb (studying).
adjective here.
• Come over here has the meaning of “come to my house.”
• How about you … Notice the intonation falls here because the speaker is going to
follow it up with a detailed question. • Notes Students take notes about what the teacher says during a lecture.
BILL: Yes ... Oh! There’s a bus now. We’ll have to run to
catch it.
L ANGUAGE NOTES
• Should we … or …? Is a way of asking “Which is better?” “Should” is used to ask • I sn’t that This is a negative question. The speaker expects an affirmative answer. It
for an opinion. Note that we do not say “Will” here. is used to check information.
• Take a taxi or a bus? The word “or” signals a choice here. Notice the rising • Bus stop is a compound noun, with the main stress on the first word.
intonation on taxi (the first choice) and falling intonation on bus (the second choice).
• Oh! is an exclamation used to express alarm or surprise.
• Let’s (Let us) means “I think we should do this.”
• Oh, no! is an expression used to express disappointment.
• Rush hour is the time of day when most people are going to or from work. In most
• We just missed it here means “We arrived a moment too late to get the bus.”
American cities, rush hour is from about 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and from about 4:30 to
Notice the emphasis on “just” to show the very recent past.
6:30 p.m. Notice that “rush hour” is a compound noun, with the main stress on the
first word. • No problem here means “It doesn’t matter.”
SUSAN: Wow! I didn’t know that my mom was older — she’s going
to be 57 on September 2 [second]. Anyway, Aunt Mary’s
going to be so surprised to see us all here!
PATTY: I know! But we still have to get all the food set up before
she gets here … OK! We’re all ready now. Shh! She’s here!
ALL: Surprise!
• She’ll be 55 Notice that “55” is stressed here. This detail answers the question “How
old is she?”
LANGUAGE NOTES
• The 3:30 show Movies are shown at different times throughout the day. This refers to • Moving over one Here “one” is short for “one seat.”
the movie that starts at 3:30. Notice the emphasis on 3:30.
• N
o, not at all is a way of saying “No, I don’t mind” or “I will be glad to.” Notice the
• Enjoy the movie! Notice how the intonation rises on movie. This is said in a friendly answer to “Would you mind” is in the negative form.
way, and is followed by an exclamation point.
• Would you mind is a polite way to ask “Can you do something for me?” Notice the
verb ends in “-ing.” Compare this structure to “Would you mind if I” plus a verb that
ends in “-ed” (Would you mind if I opened the window?).
JULIE: Well, I like to do arts and crafts, and I’m really good at
drawing. What do you think?
JULIE: OK. Let’s play Scrabble! I’m really good at spelling, too!
LANGUAGE NOTES
• So … Notice how the “o” sound is drawn out here, combined with the intonation, which • How about is used to make a tentative suggestion. The speaker is introducing an idea and
shows boredom. doesn’t want to sound too strong.
• I’m really good at “Really” means “very” and is used to emphasize “good.” It goes before • Let’s is used to make a strong suggestion. The speaker feels confident about the plan.
the adjective.
• Oh, yeah? We’ll see about that! “Oh, yeah?” is used in a joking way to show a bit of friendly
• What do you Notice the pronunciation here — it sounds like “Whaddaya.” competition. Notice the emphasis on “that,” which refers back to “good at spelling.”
• Hmm … is used to show that the speaker is thinking. It is also used to show that the speaker
disagrees with an idea.
JACK: We must have had the wrong time. Oh, well … soccer’s not my
favorite sport anyway. I much prefer basketball.
PHIL: Oh, really? I thought your favorite sport was tennis! I’m a big
fan of basketball, too.
PHIL: Sure thing! Why don’t we go shoot some hoops now since the
soccer game isn’t on?
LANGUAGE NOTES
• What time is that soccer game on? means “When does the soccer game start?” • I ’m a big fan of basketball is a way of saying “I like basketball very much” (“to be a
“What time” plus something plus “on” is a common expression used to ask about the fan of” is a casual expression used to describe something you really like).
start time of a TV show or a movie.
• How about a game here means “Let’s play a basketball game.”
• I much prefer basketball here means “I like basketball a lot more than soccer.” Notice
• Sure thing! This is a casual expression used to mean “OK.”
how “much” is stressed to show that the speaker really likes basketball.
• Shoot some hoops means to play an informal game of basketball. This is a casual
• Oh, really? Notice the rising intonation on “really.” This shows that the speaker is
expression used between friends.
surprised. He thought that Jack liked tennis the best.
ELENA: You are welcome. I’m happy you enjoyed the show.
The choreography of the dancers was incredible. It
reminds me of when I used to dance.
SHANNON: Absolutely! I’m glad you are still an art fan too. Thank
you for the invitation. It’s always a pleasure to attend
an arts event with you and learn something new.
LANGUAGE NOTES
• Ticket can refer to many different types of transportation (metro, bus, train, plane, etc.). • When discussing airplane travel, a red eye is a flight that leaves at night to arrive early
In general, you can guess the means of transportation by the context. the next morning. This is in reference to how red your eyes become when you don’t get
a full night’s sleep.
GARY: I think I’d rather get a dog. Dogs are more loyal than cats.
CONNIE: Yes, but they’re so much work! Would you be willing to walk
it every single day? And clean up after it?
CONNIE: Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go grab some coffee and talk
about it.
LANGUAGE NOTES
• Decide is a useful verb to express choice. The idiom “to make up my mind” also • Many verbs express opinions: to think / to believe / to suppose / to assume, etc. They
means “to decide”: “There are so many choices in this menu. It’s going to take awhile are not all synonymous. For example, “to suppose” and “to assume” express that the
to make up my mind/decide.” You can finish this sentence with either the idiom or the speaker has a preconceived idea: He came back late from work, so I assumed that traffic
verb “decide.” was bad. /I suppose that may not have been the case, and that he might just have had a
lot of work.
• H
ow about This phrase presents an alternative. This phrase can be followed by a
subject plus a conjugated verb or by a noun: How about we go swimming? / How about
a movie tonight?
TYLER: Next time you go there, I’ll join you. I’ve heard Michigan is a
great place to go canoeing.
• Gonna is a colloquial form of “I’m going to.” Other similar constructions include
“wanna” [want to] or “hafta” [have to]. These are examples of transcriptions of spoken
English and should not be used in a formal context. Some of these examples are now
seen in text messages as a means of shortening sentences.
MARIA: Yes. She looks amazing. And the groom is so romantic.
I just heard the story of how they got engaged! He
proposed to her during a candlelight dinner in London.
Did you know that was where they went to school?
LAYLA: Oh you know, the usual. Should I take this new job? Or do I
stick with my current one?
MONICA: Well, I think it’s time for a change, don’t you? They pay you late
and you are unhappy.
MONICA: I know so. And I’ve been listening to you complain for over a
year now. Trust me. Take the job. What do you have to lose?
LANGUAGE NOTES
• In formal conversation, giving advice is often suggested through modals: ought to/ • Notice the use of command forms: Take the job. /Trust me./ Go for it! The command
should / could / If I were you. In informal conversations people tend to use words such form can be used to gently persuade someone.
as I think that/ I feel that/ in my opinion.
• Listen for the emphasis on I know so and Trust me. These common phrases can be
used to convey both positive and negative emotions. “I know so” conveys a deep belief
or certainty. “To know” shows more certainty than “to think.”